1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to video images, and more particularly, to a method that renders video apparatus testing more efficient by consolidating important information from many video images into one or more composite video images.
2. Background Information
The testing of video apparatuses/devices/systems (e.g., televisions, set-top boxes, etc.) is an important aspect of quality control to ensure that such apparatuses/devices/systems are operating and producing video images in accordance with their prescribed design specifications. One example of such testing is a test to confirm that for each channel (e.g., 000 through 999), a banner containing the correct channel number is properly displayed. One method that is currently used for this test includes capturing 1000 images corresponding to each of the 1000 channels, and storing the 1000 images for later review.
If these 1000 stored images are reviewed, for example, in an automatic evaluation test mode (e.g., via computer) and the test fails, or if the test is not run in an automatic evaluation test mode, a tester must manually review each of the 1000 images, find the location of the channel number in the banner, and identify that the correct channel number is displayed. This method, however, is less than optimal since it tends to consume a lot of time and a lot of storage space. As a result, testers using this method may spend many man-hours having to review a large number of images, which also contain lots of data irrelevant to the test. Many man-hours have also been wasted by testers reporting errors in the irrelevant data set.
Accordingly, there is a need to address the aforementioned problem and thereby provide a method for testing the operation of video apparatuses/devices/systems in a more efficient and less time-consuming manner. The present invention addresses these and/or other issues.